Maréchal, nous voilà !
"Maréchal, nous voilà !" ("Marshal, here we are!") is a 1941 French song dedicated to Marshal Philippe Pétain. The lyrics were composed by André Montagard; its music was attributed to André Montagard and Charles Courtioux but actually plagiarized from a song composed for the 1933 musical "La Margoton du bataillon by Polish Jewish composer Kazimierz Oberfeld, who was deported to Auschwitz in 1945, where he was murdered.[1] Although "La Marseillaise" remained the official national anthem of the state, "Maréchal, nous voilà !" was performed in many capacities unofficially as an alternative song for the public, being used as a popular song for events like sports and recreation.[2][3] However, the song never dispelled the use of "La Marseillaise" as the official anthem, and it remained the main hymn of the Vichy State and had official support among the Vichy government.[2] It had multiple performances during the Vichy France Era, often in a famous variation by André Dassary.
English: Marshal, here we are! | |
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Unofficial anthem of Vichy France | |
Lyrics | André Montagard, 1941 |
Music | Kazimierz Oberfeld, 1933 |
Adopted | 1941 |
Relinquished | 1944 |
Preceded by | La Marseillaise |
Succeeded by | La Marseillaise |
Audio sample | |
Maréchal, nous voilà ! (Vocal version)
|
Lyrics
Maréchal, nous voilà!
(French) |
Marshal, here we are! (English translation) |
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Une flamme sacrée Tous tes enfants qui t’aiment Chorus: Maréchal, nous voilà! Tu as lutté sans cesse En nous donnant ta vie, Chorus |
A sacred flame All your children who love you Chorus: Marshal, here we are! You fought unceasingly By giving us your life, Chorus |
In popular culture
Cinema
- 2003: The Chorus by Christophe Barratier – Soundtrack.
- 2011: War of the Buttons by Yann Samuell – Soundtrack.
- 2011: War of the Buttons by Christophe Barratier – Soundtrack.
- 2016: Fanny's Journey by Lola Doillon – Soundtrack..
Literature
- In Pierre Cormon's novel Le Traître, the song plays regularly in a Cairo restaurant in 2002.
Comics
- Maréchal, nous voilà by Laurent Rullier (script) and Hervé Duphot (drawing and color); volume II of the Les combattants series, Paris, Delcourt, 2012
Notes
- (in French) Nathalie Dompnier, « Entre La Marseillaise et Maréchal, nous voilà ! quel hymne pour le régime de Vichy ? », dans Myriam Chimènes (dir.), La vie musicale sous Vichy, Éditions Complexe – IRPMF-CNRS, coll. « Histoire du temps présent », 2001, p. 71
- Fancourt, Daisy. "Anthems for France". Music and the Holocaust. ORT. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
- "Pétain of Verdun, of Vichy, of History". New York Times. 15 November 1964. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
Bibliography
- (in French) Nathalie Dompnier, « Entre La Marseillaise et Maréchal, nous voilà ! quel hymne pour le régime de Vichy ? », pp. 69–88 , in Myriam Chimènes (dir.), La vie musicale sous Vichy, Éditions Complexe – IRPMF-CNRS, coll. « Histoire du temps présent », 2001, 420 p. ISBN 2-87027-864-0 ISBN 978-2870278642
- Maréchal, nous voilà ! mp3 recording (French)
- "Pétain of Verdun, of Vichy, of History". New York Times. 15 November 1964. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
- Fancourt, Daisy. "Anthems for France". Music and the Holocaust. ORT. Retrieved 1 October 2023.